SupplySide Global: beverages, jellies, peptides and longevity lead supplement trends per SPINS

At SupplySide Global in Las Vegas, the biggest shift in the supplements market was the move toward food and beverage formats. That is according to NutraIngredients-USA, which reported on comments from Dicker of SPINS, who drew on observations from the show floor and the company's research. He also pointed to growing interest in peptides, a focus on longevity and men's health, and a change in how energy products are positioned.

Beverages and jellies over pills

According to Dicker, many companies at the show were actively promoting their ingredients as beverage-friendly. SPINS research shows that consumers under 35 markedly prefer supplements in food and beverage formats, while older consumers still choose traditional pills, capsules and powders, which he expects to remain. Jellies, particularly for collagen, were also highlighted as a novel delivery format.

Peptides and their effectiveness

"Peptides" has become one of the most sought-after terms in the industry. Dicker stressed the need to distinguish between food-derived or nutritional peptides and the more controversial injectable forms. The term, he said, resonates with consumers who hear that peptides are good for them, although the effects of different peptides vary considerably and each should be discussed individually. The word is expected to keep being used wherever applicable.

Which claims are coming to the fore

Among the main positionings on the show floor, Dicker named longevity, men's and women's health, and metabolic health. Testosterone and muscle health were also mentioned. In energy, he said, differentiation is emerging: instead of simply "energy," manufacturers are adding qualifiers such as calm energy or focus energy. Caffeine content claims, ketones and paraxanthine, a caffeine metabolite, are also in play.

What appeared less

Mushrooms and adaptogens were, in Dicker's observation, far more modest on the show floor than in previous years, though they have not disappeared. In joint health, collagen still dominates, and he expects a growing push toward anti-inflammatory formulations in the near future.